Dominic quickly stepped back. He wasn’t a jerk, or a creep, and he wasn’t looking for a quick feel. He and Jeanette were colleagues, borderline friends when she wasn’t intentionally irritating him. Of course, he knew she was attractive, but she was dating someone else. Some real estate asshole who’d put a ring on her finger. Even if she wasn’t engaged he was nowhere ready to dive into anything resembling a relationship. He should not have sparks of attraction shooting through his body.
Jeanette crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them up and deepening her cleavage. “I’ll give you her address, but you can’t go down there without me.” Her voice was breathless, but her gaze was strong.
Dominic focused on her eyes and not the silky expanse of skin above her tank top. “Give me one good reason why not.” He and Jeanette often worked together, but they had a rhythm: she found the person and he did what needed to be done with the information. She’d never refused to let go of a case before.
“You said yourself this is an important case. I know the family wouldn’t want this to blow up in their face. If you go down there and accuse this woman of blackmail, it could very well backfire and make things worse. Let me help you. You’ll need a softer touch with this one. I can provide that touch.”
“A softer touch? My touch is soft enough. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without being subtle.”
Her shoulders lifted and lowered quickly. “You won’t change my mind. I either go with you or I go ahead of you and warn her.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Her arms dropped and she stepped closer. She brushed at the lapel of his suit jacket, then straightened his tie. The tips of her fingers lightly scraped across his skin. He jerked back. The corner of her smart mouth lifted in a devilish smile. She was tormenting him on purpose. He wasn’t supposed to like it, but damn if she didn’t find ways to make him smile.
He had to stop thinking about Jeanette like this. They worked well together because they never acted on the sparks that occasionally flared between them. He couldn’t afford to ruin a good partnership because his body suddenly woke up from the long months of post—disastrous breakup celibacy.
“You know I will,” she said with a smug smile on her full lips. The dimples in her cheeks made her look even more devilish. “Just trust me on this and let me go with you. If you want this done right, you need me with you.”
Her hand rested on his chest. Could she feel his heart rate accelerating beneath her palms? Did she realize her touch affected him so much, or would she assume it was because he was angry at her insistence on going? He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away. His gaze slid across her graceful fingers and he froze.
The ring was gone from her left hand. She’d only worn it for six months. Something loosened in his brain, a dam bursting with possibilities he shouldn’t follow up on but that flooded his system with anticipation. Guess he’d been right. The real estate asshole hadn’t been worthy of a woman like Jeanette.
That ring had made it easier to convince himself his attraction to Jeanette was just male appreciation of a beautiful woman and not worth pursuing. Every time that damned diamond ring sparkled on her finger, he’d cursed the jackass who’d convinced a smart, tough, spunky woman like Jeanette to marry him while Dominic had been bamboozled by a devil in a choir robe. Nothing but good old jealousy. Jealousy he’d been embarrassed to feel, but too honest with himself to deny.
What can you offer her besides debt to clean up and potentially lost revenue if clients find out you hadn’t been savvy enough to realize Jules was scamming you?
Dominic let go of her wrist and took a step back. He needed to clean up the mess his ex left behind. Not entertain the idea of asking Jeanette out. She deserved better than that.
He straightened to his full height and glowered down at her. “You’re not going.”
Her lips twitched and she cocked her head to the side. “What’s the matter, Dominic?” she said in a sweet, patronizing voice. “Afraid to take me along because I’ll prove you wrong?” A teasing glint sparkled in her eyes.
The urge to kiss that smug look off her face rammed him like a thousand-pound bull. He longed to take hold of her waist, pull her curves against him and slide his lips over hers. Would she be just as sweet and spicy as he’d dreamed? Would she moan softly or sigh as her arousal grew? His crotch stirred, a slow thickening that would be downright embarrassing if he didn’t get a hold of his thoughts.
He stepped back and gave her what he hoped was a don’t-be-ridiculous glare. No way on God’s green earth was he going out of town with a woman who could have him at half-mast with just a simple touch.
“No,” he said, his voice thick and stern. “You are not going with me and that’s final. And if you do warn her, I swear I’ll never work with you again.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’LL LET YOU DRIVE, if you want.” Jeanette tossed the rental car keys to Dominic after dropping her overnight bag into the trunk.
He caught them and threw an annoyed glance her way. She responded with a grin. Yeah, she was being smug, but she didn’t care. It had only taken two days for her to win this round, and she wasn’t going to feel bad about it. As soon as he’d told her what she couldn’t do, she’d left out the tiny detail about Zoe being out of town and heading to a work conference for the rest of the week. She’d waited until she’d known he was on the road to Greenville before calling and telling him.
He’d done his grumpy-bear, I’m-always-right, hear-me-roar routine. She’d rolled her eyes in the face of his demands. In the end, he’d accepted that arguing with her only delayed his case and the inevitable.
Dominic was used to always getting things his way. She was more than happy to provide him with much-needed reminders that the world hadn’t been created just to cater to his whims. It was good for the soul.
“You’re actually giving me an option,” Dominic said with a raised brow.
Jeanette held back a chuckle. “You’ve earned the right, considering how much you fought me on coming.”
“I still don’t think this is a good idea.” He opened the driver’s-side door.
“Trust me, I’m only trying to make things easier for you. This sounds like a delicate situation and the last thing you want is for it to blow up.”
“I’ve handled delicate situations before. None of them have blown up in my face.” He grimaced. “Not because of me, anyway.”
She opened her door. “Aren’t you the lucky one.” She slid into the passenger seat.
Dominic got into the car and started the engine. “Do you have the address of the hotel?”
She pressed the buttons on the car’s console until the GPS navigation system came up. “Typing it in now. I didn’t register us for the conference, but we are staying in the same hotel. That way we’ll be able to observe her before deciding on the way to approach her.”
Zoe was scheduled to attend a safety conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They’d decided to speak with her there rather than wait until she was back home. Jeanette didn’t want to give the impression they were trying to threaten her or her family, so it was best to confront her when they were far away. Dominic hadn’t fought her on that.
“I’m surprised there was still room at the hotel,” Dominic said after she’d put the address in. He backed the car out of her driveway.
He’d insisted on picking her up. She didn’t know where Dominic lived, whether it was in Jackson Falls like her or in Raleigh or Chapel Hill, and he didn’t volunteer personal information. She hadn’t lied when she said she didn’t dig into her friends’ personal lives. And she did consider him a friend, even if it was more of a professional relationship.
“They only had one double room left at the hotel, and that was due to a cancellation. Sorry we have to share.”
She eyed him for any signs of discomfort. Per
usual, Dominic’s face didn’t give away any of his inner thoughts. The idea of sharing a room with him, the familiarity that came with seeing his nighttime rituals and listening to the rhythmic sounds of his breathing while he slept made her heart sprint. What if she couldn’t hide her attraction to him while they were in such close proximity? Even if it was only for a few days.
“It’ll be okay. It’s only for a couple of nights.” He said the words easily, not a single hint that the idea of spending the night in a hotel room with her would be awkward or even tempting for him.
She’d worked with Dominic long enough to know he typically hid his thoughts behind an impassive mask. He’d done that a lot when they’d first started working together, but eventually he’d trusted her enough to relax his guard and open up about what he was thinking. That was one of the reasons she’d thought a partnership between them would work. But she hadn’t noticed that he’d gone back to guarding his expressions and hiding his thoughts until right now.
She missed the more relaxed Dominic. Sure, he’d never be described as laid-back, but she didn’t like the additional tightness around his mouth and shoulders. Maybe if she convinced him to loosen up a little he’d be more comfortable working with her.
You’ve got three-plus hours in a car with him. Might as well start now.
“You know,” she said slowly. “This could be an opportunity for something else.” She licked her lips as her pulse sped up.
He stopped at the light and looked at her. “An opportunity for what?”
The GPS instructed him to turn left at the next intersection. If only she could rely on GPS to guide her. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach suddenly. What if she couldn’t convince Dominic to partner with her?
“For us to get to know each other better. We’ve worked together for years, but we don’t know much about each other. I’d like to know more about non-work Dominic, if that’s okay with you.”
His shoulders relaxed and his fingers didn’t grip the steering wheel as tightly. “That’s cool.” The light changed and he turned.
The relief in his voice made her study him closer. What had he thought she meant? Sure, she’d enjoy hooking up with him, but the professional part of her accepted that hooking up with Dominic was not the way to start a business relationship.
What would he have said if she’d meant a more intimate type of opportunity? She didn’t mind putting herself in uncomfortable situations for her job. She’d gone toe-to-toe with her best friend’s cheating-ass boyfriend and taken a punch to the face to prove it. But putting her own emotions on the line with a guy like Dominic could be disastrous to her heart and her business.
“What do you want to know?” His voice was casual, but he darted a guarded glance her way.
She considered teasing him and asking something silly, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. He was willing to talk to her about something other than a job. She wasn’t going to waste time being coy.
“Are you originally from Jackson Falls?”
Dominic shook his head. “No, I grew up in Charlotte. You?”
“Wilmington,” she replied. “Went to UNC Chapel Hill and stayed in the area.”
He nodded then asked, “What made you stay?”
She thought back to that aimless time after college when she’d wanted to be a private investigator but wasn’t sure if she could pull it off. Her parents had expected her to come home and do something “useful” with her criminal justice degree. But her best friend, the one she’d taken the hit for, had told her she’d make the best investigator.
“My friends were still here,” she said with a smile. “My roommate, Amy, got a job and found a place in no time. She said I could room with her until I was settled. Jackson Falls, with its proximity to Raleigh, seemed like a good place to start my PI firm. Once things took off, I never thought about leaving. Why didn’t you go back to Charlotte?”
He let out a heavy breath and lifted a shoulder. “I still work in Charlotte. I have clients from all over the place. But I’ll never move back.”
The determination in his voice intrigued her. It wasn’t the casual, offhand way most people blew off the idea of moving back to their hometowns. He spoke the words as if they were a reminder to himself and the world around him to keep moving forward and never look back.
She turned to watch him closer. “Why not?”
His fingers flexed around the steering wheel. He shifted in his seat, and his jaw clenched. She was about to withdraw the question, as obviously the topic was a sore spot, when he finally spoke. “I’m more likely to run into my parents down there. I’d prefer to stay away from them.”
His voice wasn’t cold or hard when he said that. He sounded tired and frustrated. Like the investigator that she was, she wanted to know why.
“I take it you don’t have a great relationship with them?”
He shook his head. “Not great.”
He got quiet. Jeanette pursed her lips and waited. He looked straight ahead. She suppressed a sigh and looked out the window. She wouldn’t push. Even if she was dying to know more.
“What about your parents?” he asked in a rush, as if the idea of reciprocating the get-to-know-you-better attempt had just come to him. “You get along with them?”
“Yeah.” She laughed and leaned back against the headrest. “Well, now I do. I was a terrible teenager.”
He threw her a mock disbelieving look. “Not you.”
She reached over and poked his shoulder. “Yes. I was moody, snarky and convinced my parents’ sole purpose was to ruin my life and prevent me from having any fun. I thought they hated me, then later realized everything they did was out of love for me. Once I grew up and realized how lucky I was to have parents that were so active in my life, I stopped being a brat and actually learned to appreciate them.”
His mouth tipped up and pointed at her. “Exactly when did you stop being a brat?”
Her mouth fell open. “Now you’ve decided to develop a sense of humor?”
“I’ve always had one.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “It just tends to hide around you.” The teasing glint combined with the smile hovering on his full lips brought back those tingles she tried to ignore.
Heat filled her cheeks and spread through her chest. “I’d like to see it more. I prefer your smile than your frustrated scowl. It reminds me of my dad.”
Dominic cringed and placed a hand on his chest. “The absolute last thing a man wants to hear is that he reminds a beautiful woman of her father.”
Jeanette’s breath stuck in her throat. The heat in her chest slid through her midsection. She’d been called beautiful before. Usually by her parents or some guy shouting “Hey, beautiful” to get her attention. She wasn’t insecure about her looks, but she liked hearing the compliment on his lips, even if they were joking around. He called her beautiful easy enough. She liked thinking about him considering her in a way that wasn’t completely related to how quickly she could solve a case.
The inside of the roomy sedan suddenly felt like a dollhouse closet. All she could focus on was Dominic, how close he was, how much she’d enjoy getting closer.
“Only when you frown. Any other time my father is the last person on my mind.” The admission slipped from her lips.
His eyes didn’t shift away from the road. His fingers clutched the steering wheel. Jeanette immediately regretted saying the words. She wasn’t supposed to be flirting with him. She was supposed to be talking to him, warming him up, convincing him to take their informal partnership and make it a true team effort.
He cleared his throat. “You know, that’s great about you and your parents though. It must be nice to have a close relationship with them.”
She heard the wistfulness in his voice. Again, she wanted to know more about why he wasn’t close with his parents, but she’d done enough already to
veer this conversation in an awkward direction. A frown tugged on his lips, and she wanted to bring his smile back.
“It is, but my mom loves to remind me that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If I ever plan to have kids, I’m in for hell during the teenage years.”
Dominic chuckled. “I actually believe any kid you have is in for trouble. You’re the best private investigator I know. Your kid would be lucky to get away with anything with you watching.”
She sat up straight. Her hands folded together against her chest. “You think I’m the best?” She was fishing for compliments, but she couldn’t help it. Compliments from Dominic made her day brighter.
“You know you’re the best,” he said. Though he tried to sound as if he were reluctant to admit it, she heard the truth in his words and saw it in the quick look he gave her.
A flutter went through her chest as she sat back against the chair. “Thank you, Dominic. That means a lot coming from you.”
He shifted in his seat. “Yeah, well, don’t tell a bunch of people I said that.”
“Oh, no, I’m putting up billboards and purchasing ads on social media. Dominic Ferrell approved.” She waved her hand in front of her with each word for added emphasis as if reading them on a marquee then grinned at him. “No one will know who you are, but, hey, I’ve got to get endorsements somewhere.”
Dominic let out a deep rumble of laughter, and Jeanette couldn’t breathe. She wanted to partner with him. She wanted their companies to grow together. She wanted access to his clients and a guaranteed recommendation for Lady Eyes Investigation. But damn her heart and mind, because she wanted Dominic Ferrell as more than a professional friend and colleague. How the hell was she supposed to accomplish both?
* * *
DOMINIC GLANCED AT Jeanette in the passenger seat of the car. He’d learned more about her in two hours of riding together than he had in the five years they’d worked together. After she’d talked about her teenage years, they’d talked about everything. He found himself opening up about things he hadn’t thought about in years. They compared high school girlfriends and boyfriends, college experiences and childhood memories. He’d tried to focus on the good ones from his childhood instead of the more embarrassing ones. He found out that she loved Starburst candy, the happiest day of her childhood was when her mom had taken her and her best friend to a movie followed by a slumber party and that she and her dad still went fishing every year on the Fourth of July.
The Promise of a Kiss Page 3